Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-10-23

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ceptaclo which the maid was guarding
so jealously, that the coffee he had
brought her was drugged $50 that, in.
stead Of being in a half doEe, she had
been in deep sleep between York and
Darlington, and that the lewel-case
had been opened with n pick-lock,
robbed, and closed again while she was
sleeping.
Next morning Lord pinkerton ar
rived at the castle. and suggested that
a reward should be offered for the re-
covery Of the diamonds or for informa-
ton. To my surprise the Viscount
seemed unwilling to offer n substantial
reward, argued that large rewards only
tempted thieves to commit fresh rob
berries, and ended by positively re-
fusing to offer larger sum than fifty
pounds for the recovery of the jewels.
/ concluded that his lordship was in
clined TO be stiDgy, and afterward
learned that he was, in fact, a notorious
miscr. In his younger days he had
been very extravagant, but about two
years after his marriage he had come
into possession of large fortune on the
death of q relative; and the effect of
his good luck was that he developed
very much to Lady Pinkerton's dis
gust-strong misery tendencies.
My next care was TO make rough
drawing of the missing jewels from
Lady Pinkerton's description. My
sketch was not by any means so accu-
rate as | could have wished, as her
ladyship's description was rather vague,
and she seemed to have no idea of
drawing. ! then arranged with the
local police that they should keep
Alice Wright under an informal sur
VIGILANCE, and returned to London.
Not many days after my return to
town was informed by the Edinburgh
police that they believed they had sue
ceeded in tracing the young man who
had travelled in the same carriage with
Alice Wright on the night of the rob-
berry. He was staying at one OF the
hotels of the city, and called himself
Charles Payne. The telegram added
that Payne held himself out to
be a medical student, and that
lie seemed to be on the point
Of returning TO London. / replied
that a strict watch must be kept on his
movements, and shortly afterSard |
was told that he might be expected to
arrive in London by certain tain.
OF course he was met upon his arrival
by one OF my men, who followed him
to his lodgings. | then telegraphed to
Lady Iinkelton and desired her to send
her maid up TO town in the company of
a policeman in plain clothes. This was
done, and / had no difficulty in ar
ranging that Miss Wright and / should
meet Charles Payne one morning as he
left bis rooms for the day.
We passed close to him, and | watch
ed his face as We met. | had instruct
cd the girl to bow slightly as he went
by She did so, and he raised his hat
with slight smile, throwing q glance
at me as be did so. There was no
doubt about his identity. | turned
round, touched him on the arm, told
him that I WAS detective officer, and
asked him to go back with me 10 his
rooms. He did so at once, and al
mitted readily that he had ira
yelled to Edinburgh on the night in
question, and that from York to New
castle he and Alice Wright had been
alone together in the carriage but he
Indignantly denied all knowledge OF
the diamonds. he furnished me with
numerous references and consented
that policeman should wait with
him in his room till the references
could be verified A little shaken
in my opinion by his readiness to
submit to this arrangement, | called
on the gentlemen he had named and
found that they all knew Charles Payne
and had the highest opinion of his in
tegrity. One or two of them, indeed,
offered to become bail for him to any
extent. This put totally different
complexion upOn matters. Payne was
certainly not q professional thief, and
only q professional thief-and very
clever one, too-could have operated
upon Alice Wright and the jewel-case
in the way which my theory supposed
he had done. There was really no evi-
dence against the young man and |
gave up the idea Of placing him under
arrest.
Six weeks passed, bringing no tidings
of the stolen property, and | had be-
gun to look upon the case as one OF my
failures. Lady Pinkerton had returned
to town, and when | reported to her
nv inability to recover her property
she seemed to have become resigned to
her loss.
| happened one morning shortly after
this to be in the shop of one of those
West-End jewellers who are i'll reality
"swell pawnbrokers, " when the jewel
Ter said to me:
"By the way, a pair of earrings were
offered to me the other day which
might have fancied were part of Lady
Pinkerton's set. half thought of de
tanning the lady and sending for you. u
And why didn't you?" interrupt
ed almost angrily.
because the things were not dia-
monds at all-they were only paste.
Paste Then they can't have been
Lady Pinkerton's-but are you quite
sure ?"
Perfectly sure. They were paste,
but a very good imitation"
pondered the matter for moment
Could the thief have taken out the
stones, replaced them by imitation bril-
liants, and then tired to pass off the
false stones rs real ones by means O
the setting? Possibly; but on the
other hand, the setting was the very
thing which any thief must have know
might lead to bis detection.
"Who offered you the trinkets ?"
asked
CAN elderly woman l think she
was a French Wonan," was the an
swer.
"Can you give me drawing OF one
of them? ?"
The jeweller took a pencil AID &
sheet OF paper, and i'll a few minute;
handed me sketch OF an earring
which certainly bore resemblance tC
the drawing L had made from Lady
Pinkertons description of her, earrings
/ left the shop with the two sketches
in my hand, feeling somewhat puzzled
On the whole, l thought it was worth
while to call on Lady Pinkerton, and
show her the drawing which the jew
Keller had made.
1 found her ladyship at breakfast IL
her JOudoir, attended by her maid. In
few words / explained the object Of
INV visit and then handed her thu